Winters in D.C. were typically bitterly cold. The once lush trees had turned yellow, the biting wind howled through the empty streets, casting a veil of bleakness and desolation.
Inside a luxurious private room on the 17th floor of S.T. Hospital—
Evelyn Harrison lay on the hospital bed, her breath shallow and weak. Her once clear eyes had lost their focus, staring quietly out the window at the withered branches. The yellowing leaves trembled in the cold wind.
Her life was like those brittle leaves—barely holding on.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed in the room—the steady rhythm of high heels tapping against the floor.
A faint light shadow swept in. The footsteps stopped. A graceful figure stepped into view, blocking her sight.
Evelyn struggled to lift her eyelids, and Chloe's radiant, captivating face appeared before her eyes—
Dressed in opulence, exuding elegance, she was a woman in her thirties. Yet time had left no marks on her face. Even now, she remained stunningly ethereal, calm, and graceful.
In Evelyn's dim black eyes, a faint cold glimmer flickered—like a candle in the wind, ready to go out at any moment.
"I know you don't want to see me, but we were sisters once. I figured I should at least come to say goodbye," Chloe said softly.
Standing above Evelyn, her serene and gentle face wore a faint smile. "HC.Co has been transferred to my name. Arthur signed the papers himself."
Evelyn's body stiffened, and a chill surged into her eyes.
"I thought he would resist a bit longer. But to get you out, he actually gave in. He even gave me your share. Surprised, Evelyn?"
Chloe's face bloomed with a victorious smile.
Evelyn's face was deathly pale, not a hint of color left. She gasped for breath, her whole body drained of strength.
"H-How… is he…?"
Her voice was dry and hoarse, filled with emptiness.
"He's a wreck. They can barely tell if he'll even survive," Chloe sneered coldly.
"He… he's your husband… Chloe… how can you be so cruel…"
Pain flared in Evelyn's dry eyes. Her hoarse and feeble voice was filled with sorrow and despair.
Chloe gave a low chuckle. "Oh, Evelyn, you're still so naïve. Still clinging to your foolish fantasies! Don't tell me you actually believed I married Arthur because I loved him?"
Her lips curled into a strange, cold smile. She suddenly leaned closer, whispering near Evelyn's ear, "Do you know why Joseph was engaged to you for seven years but never mentioned marriage?"
Evelyn's dark eyes froze.
"It's because he was waiting for me… Let me share some good news with you—I'm pregnant. And the baby is Joseph's. After more than twenty years, we've finally gotten here. The Harrison clan… is no more."
Chloe gently placed her hand over her still-flat belly, letting out a soft laugh.
"Captain Harrison, now Chief Prosecutor Harrison—you were always so proud, so aloof, looking down on everyone as if from a throne, handing out your so-called kindness like a favor… Bet you never imagined you'd end up like this, did you? Did you really think Joseph loved you?"
"Stop dreaming! You practically drove him to a breakdown just to force that engagement—and let's not forget your little 'ambiguous' relationship with Lincoln. What kind of man would ever love a woman like you?"
But she hadn't!
The engagement with Joseph wasn't her choice—wasn't she the one being used all along?
Lincoln was her superior, and their relationship had always been above reproach...
Evelyn wanted to explain, wanted to cry out the truth—but she didn't even have the strength to open her mouth.
"What a pity, Evelyn. So much glory, such a prestigious Prosecutor Harrison. And now? Surrounded, disgraced, completely ruined. Didn't the Harrison clan always dream of stepping over the Louis family? Look now... all gone to dust."
Chloe reached out and tapped Evelyn's pale cheek with a perfectly manicured finger, her words slow and deliberate.
"Since you're so pitiful, I'll give you one last truth before you go…"
"The one who saved you that night… it wasn't Joseph. It was Lincoln.
You two were at each other's throats, yet he was the one who still cared for you—the subordinate who tried so hard. He even gave up his candidacy for that position. Before stepping down, his last act in office was tying up loose ends for you, trying to get you out…
And what did you do, Prosecutor Harrison?
You repaid him with betrayal—had him arrested instead.
I heard he coughed up blood from the rage, and still hasn't recovered…"
Chloe let out a cold, mocking laugh.
"How stupid, Evelyn. Just one little trick—one seed of doubt—and the two of you destroyed each other."
Spurt—
Her words were the final straw that broke the dying flame.
A wave of blood rose in Evelyn's throat, bitter and thick. The last glimmer in her eyes faded without a trace.
She drew her final breath.
Rustle… rustle…
The soft sound of wind and rain brushed past her ears.
Evelyn slowly opened her eyes.
Her head felt heavy, as if clouded by the lingering haze of a hangover.
She turned her head with effort, taking in her surroundings—
Pale gold walls, intricately carved curtains, dark floor-to-ceiling windows, vintage wall sconces, and a leafy potted plant by the window…
This… this was her room.
Why was she here?
Hadn't the Harrison clan's villa been sold off by Chloe already?
And besides… wasn't she dead?
Where was Chloe?
A dull ache throbbed in her skull. Fragments of memory flickered in and out like a broken film reel. Panicked, Evelyn reached for the phone on her bedside table—
This… this wasn't the phone she used now…
It was the one Arthur had bought her, the one she'd stopped using years ago.
Why was it here?
...
The date on the phone—
Seven years ago.
This was the day… the day she got engaged to Joseph!
Suddenly sensing something, she quickly raised her hands and looked at the backs—
Smooth. Unblemished. The hideous scar that used to be there—gone.
Evelyn could hardly believe it. The wounds… they had vanished.
And the dress she was wearing…
It was that pale engagement gown—the one custom-made in France by the Gu family and flown in.
She had always kept it sealed in her closet.
Now, it was on her body.
This scene… it was all too familiar.
Was she dreaming?
Or had she really… gone back in time?
Had she… been reborn?